In some prior art image forming systems, a plurality of image forming apparatuses (output units) can perform printing by distributing and assigning one print job to these apparatuses. A process of executing one print job using a plurality of image forming apparatuses is called tandem printing. Tandem printing job is intended to execute a print job at high speed, based on its use in a network to which a plurality of image forming apparatuses are connected. Tandem printing is achieved by a controller for controlling an operation state of the entire image forming system or an image forming apparatus serving as a master unit. In the prior art image forming systems, tandem printing starts when all image forming apparatuses necessary for the tandem printing are available (on standby for printing). In other words, tandem printing does not start until all image forming apparatuses necessary for the tandem print become available.
As described above, the prior art image forming systems have a problem in that they cannot start tandem printing unless all apparatuses necessary for the tandem print are available or they cannot start it until all the apparatuses becomes available.
The prior art image forming systems have another problem in that they have neither a function of comprehensively presenting operation states and management information of a plurality of image forming apparatuses to a user nor a means for notifying the user of the current progress of the tandem print, the estimated time of ending the print, and the like.